It's In My Head, But It's No Less Real
by MattsMarshMello
Summary: George finds out why he has been seeing his twin lately.


**It's In My Head, But It's No Less Real**

**"All that pain and misery… and loneliness… and it just made it kind. " - Amelia 'Amy' Pond, Doctor Who.**

"They think I'm crazy Fred."

"George, when have they not?"

"Yes, but talking to my-"

"-dead brother's ghost is weird."

"You said it Fred, not me." George ran his hand through his thinning red hair before a sigh passed his lips. "Well they don't exactly know the whole situation. I believe they think that I've taken to talking to myself, which is-"

"Utterly ridiculous! Honestly George, talking to yourself is for the nutters. Which, as we know you're too much of a genius for that."

George silently tinkered with his prototype of the newest invention for his joke shop, suddenly letting out a noise of frustration as the charm he was trying to apply ended up to be too weak to provide the desirable effect. Tossing the object to the side before he rubbed his hands over his face.

"Argh!"

"You know that looks like faltering magic to me George, losing your touch already?"

"Shut up Fred, I know why you're here. I know why no one else can see you."

A gasp was heard before Fred responded with, "I've been found out! Whatever shall I do?!" before mocking the gesture of a fainting damsel in distress. He quickly sat up at the frown he saw on his twin's face.

"What about Angelina?"

George watched as Fred sat up a little straighter at the mention of her, and a slight awkwardness filled the air between the two brothers.

"Thanks about that by the way, not that-"

"-I did it for you, but I think a part of me did. She's a fine witch. She is the only one who comes close to knowing how much I miss you."

"What about that Freddie bloke? You know, the little clone." A wide grin bloomed on Fred's face as he mentioned his nephew named after him.

"Well he is much quieter than you and a shade darker in the ginger department." The grin Fred had was mirrored by George. "Though, he isn't little anymore. He is grown with his own kids and-"

"-Running our joke shop with James Potter. Yes, yes, I know. I've been with you all along George, you just couldn't see me til...well.."

"Until I got old and senile."

"Well...yeah pretty much." Fred looked away, back at the sunset in front of them. He didn't have the heart to tell his brother what George seemed to have forgotten.

George had started seeing his long dead twin brother, Fred Weasley, a month or so ago. It didn't startle him in the slightest. George was still just as keen in his old age as he had been when he and Fred made their magnificent exit from Hogwarts while it was under the tyrannical rule of Dolores Umbridge. It was simple really, George's time was running out. He knew it. George had kept his faltering magic well hidden from his wife Angelina, their children and the rest of the family. Unfortunately, George's faltering magic caused an explosion when a charm backfired, the injury he sustained put him into a coma.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Angelina woke and looked up at her husband lying in the hospital bed at St. Mungo's, only to gasp and pull her hand out of his in shock.

"Fred!"

She quickly stood from the chair and moved further away from the deceased twin's ghost that was standing over his brother. Angelina shook her head as her eyes prickled with the oncoming of tears.

"No, no, Fred please...no. He is just..just in a coma..he'll be fine." A trembling hand came up to cover her mouth as the tears fell and her back hit the wall behind her. "Oh Merlin.."

Fred looked up and gazed at his ex girlfriend for a moment.

"About that, you know it's Forge. Oh no, no don't get all wet for me now darling. It's really not the time." A devious grin spread across his lips. "He isn't dead and won't be for...awhile. Eye of the tiger this one, Gred isn't ready to hang out with me again. Not yet, but soon enough."

A wavering chuckle and some sniffling was all Angelina could manage for few minutes before she was able to speak. "Fred, all those times I heard him talking to himself..was he talking you?"

"In all my translucent fabulous glory? Absolutely! He's not gone round the bend, not yet. I hope he doesn't, you know that'd be so tragic."

"How come I can see you if you've only been appearing to him?"

Fred's image shimmered for a bit and he looked away from the woman before him, "You lot that are still living aren't the only ones who miss people. Ah, here we go love."

A groan from George pulled her attention to her husband and she moved over to his side as Fred disappeared from sight.

"George?! George can you hear me?"

"Nn...Fred..you're a right arse."

George's eyes slowly fluttered open and blinked repeatedly as he took in his lovely wife.

"Angelina?"

"Shh, let's get some healers in here. You've been out for a while."

"Angel, where'd Fred go?"

With a fond smile directed at her husband she replied, "He's watching George, just like he always has."

She then left the room to get the healers that were looking after George, soon enough the room was flooded with healers working on George and Angelina backed away enough to let them do their job. She knew their children, grandchildren, extended family and the Potter's would want to know about George's waking and then he would be mobbed by people who were happy to have him fully back to the land of the living. As she left the room to go send owls off to the relatives, she didn't notice a tall figure leaning against the wall in a corner of the hospital room. While Fred faded from her view and George had yet to notice him due the potions the healers had given him, Fred was still there. He was still watching over George, still waiting for him. It would be soon, especially since George had realized it during the conversation that they had while he was unconscious. Perhaps now George would stop tinkering with new inventions so that he could properly start to say goodbye to those in his life and get his affairs organized. He was almost done teaching James and Freddie all the things they would need to know to continue keeping the joke shop running successfully and be cutting edge as far as joke supplies went. Fred didn't hold out much hope for that though, since they both had always went out with a bang and their own style.

**AN: This was written for Round 10 of The Quidditch League. **


End file.
